Synopsis from Amazon:
On March 12th, 2015, the writing world lost one of its greatest contemporary heroes - Sir Terrence "Terry" Pratchett. To honor his life, a group of writers decided to publish an anthology of stories that showcased his influence on their writing, and also would help bring awareness of the disease that contributed to his end, Alzheimer's Disease.
Found in this volume are eleven stories and poems by nine authors, most of which are humorous and fantastical, but threaded among those are tales of the loss and confusion unique to Alzheimer's, dementia, and those who must watch their loved ones disappear before their eyes. Contributing writers include Amanda Parker Adams, Andrew Barber, Joshua L. Cejka, Connie Cockrell, Janet Gershen-Siegel, D.R. Perry, R.R. Virdi, Michael Walton and Lacey D. Sutton.
All proceeds from sales of this book will be donated to the Alzheimer's Association, in the hope of one day finding a cure.
>>>>>>
My Review:
Now that I think about it, I believe this book was among the first
books I won in a giveaway a few years ago, and it's been sitting in the
queue ever since.
I am so glad I finally got around to reading it!
I
confess, I haven't read much Pratchett, but what I read, I liked, and I
do believe this group of authors has done great homage to that
legendary author.
Lying in Wait by Connie
Cockerell was a fun start to the novel, and a good foretaste of the
shenanigans yet to come! The deadpan delivery of bizarre twists on the
story it appears to be on the surface is exactly the same sort of art
that I found in Pratchett's own short stories.
Joshua
L. Cejka had two stories in this anthology, and they could not be more
different. Out of Time, I found eclectic and silly at first glance, yet
poignant and thought-provoking at the second look, in true Pratchett
form. Cuhlyn's Tale, on the other hand, I felt was the most disturbing
of them all. Quite frankly, I kind of felt that I couldn't get through
it fast enough.
Props by Janet Gershen-Siegel
was another tale firmly rooted in the poignant and intriguing category.
It presents as a record from an unreliable narrator—but the twist ending
is not one to be missed!
Lords, Ladies, and
the Dracomorph by Andrew Barber, I found rather curious. I've only read
one of his Cybermancer series, and, well—this one had dragons. I like
dragons.
Remember Me by Amanda Parker Adams was
definitely touching to the quick! I think it served as a very tangible
reminder of the cause that motivated this anthology: all proceeds go to
research into Alzheimer's, finding better treatment methods or even
possibly a cure. It's a beautiful story, and very well-written.
Chance
Fortunes by R. R. Virdi was, true to form, a rollicking good time! I am
already a huge fan of his work, and this felt like a fitting tribute to
Pratchett's flair for bungling, endearing wizards thrust into
circumstances out of their control.
Blame it
on The Moonlight by Michael Walton was unexpectedly fun! It did a good
job remaining demure and unassuming at first, rapidly diving into the
strange "when the lights go out," as the saying goes. I liked it!
Bedtime
Stories by Lacey D. Sutton was a neat twist on old legends! What starts
as a decent story with a rather morbid-minded nanny turns into a
spooky-sweet discovery. It definitely harkened back to the Puritain days
of cautionary tales being popular because adults were convinced that
scaring the pants off their kids was an effective way of controlling
their behavior... but how do you scare someone who knows the Bogeyman as
a friend?
Lastly, the two poems by Andrew Barber and D. R. Perry book-ending the anthology were sweet and touching.
The
anthology, as a whole, earns ****4 STARS**** from the Upstream Writer, and I believe would make
Sir Terry proud, if he could have read it. The fact that all proceeds
are going directly into Alzheimer's research—absolutely a worthy cause,
if there ever was one—serves as extra motivation to get yourself a book
that not only benefits you with a host of wonderful stories, but
benefits others as well!
Further Reading: Charity Anthologies/Books by authors in this group/Short Story Collections
WriterPunk Anthologies--Jeffrey Cook et al.
-Sound & Fury: Shakespeare Goes Punk, Vol. 1
-Shakespeare Goes Punk, Vol. 2: Once More Unto The Breach
-Sound & Fury: Shakespeare Goes Punk, Vol. 1
-Shakespeare Goes Punk, Vol. 2: Once More Unto The Breach
The Books of Winter--R. R. Virdi
-Dangerous Ways
-Dangerous Ways
No comments:
Post a Comment